well. he has ever right to stick it to stewart but not that both sides aren't enjoying and exploiting the seemingly endless feud. join us next sunday morning, 11:00 a.m. eastern for another critical look at the media. on a uniquely american holiday weekend, a look at the american dream. a steady job. a home of your own. a better life for your kids. a secure retirement for you. the reality of today's struggling economy threatens it all. is the american dream fading? today, a "state of the union" special. "making it in america." with aol cofounder steve case, housing secretary, shaun donovan, and educator, geoffrey canada, and finance expert, suze orman, and and entrepreneur russell

simmons. but first john mccain spending the 4th with the troops in afghanistan. i'm candy crowley and this is "state of the union." minutes ago we were joined from kabul by the ranking republican on the armed forces committee, john mccain. you have been fearful that withdrawing the troops by september of next year is risky to the troops and advances made on the ground. have you seen or heard anything that causes you to rethink that? >> no, basically what i have seen and heard here, both from afghans as well as a number of americans is that it's an unnecessary risk, and it's not recommended by any of the military, and i hope it will work out, but it certainly deprives us of the troops that we need for the second fighting season. >> lieutenant general john allen, as you know, is the

nominee to be the u.s. commander in afghanistan. he was testifying on capitol hill this week, and i want to play you part of what he said and basically his position is he supports the president's withdrawal plan. here is a little of what he said. >> this reality sends a important message as well as a sense of urgency that afghans must take more responsibility for their security. >> so you have said to follow the lead of the commanders on the ground this is the soon-to-be commander on the ground. shouldn't that make you feel a little better. he thinks this can work? >> candy, i hope it will work. most people would tell you it's an unnecessary risk. i fully expect general allen and others to sal lute and carry out their mission the best they can. but the fact is there is no recommendation by any military person to have this early withdrawal, and it's an unnecessary risk.

our allies are already following suit by announcing the withdrawals. but most important we're told that in the villages that the after gans are now wondering if we are leaving or not and that can undermine the whole effort and sacrifice that's been made ever since this important surge began. >> chairman mike rogers was blunt with me last week and he said he thought that the president did this particular troop withdrawal with the timing it has for purely domestic political reasons, do you agree with that? >> i cannot accuse the president of that, candy. i do say the president shouldn't have announced when he did in 2009 that we would be withdrawing troops in 2011. he didn't give them the full complement they needed. it was about 10,000 short, which then necessitated a second

fighting season. look, i question whether this was the right decision or not, but i can't question the president's patriotism. >> let me ask you about, there was an explosion at a hotel in kabul this week. the aconnie network has taken credit for it, if that's the word, and they are associated with the taliban, and at the same time we know the u.s. is reaching out to the taliban for peace talks in the future. do you see any signs the taliban is ready to talk peace? >> there has been no signs whatsoever. when the taliban are ready to talk peace it will be when they are convinced they cannot achieve their goals on the battlefield. we have had enormous success over the past year and i should have mentioned that earlier in the conversation, and we have taken out a lot of the mid-level taliban operating in afghanistan. one of the big problems is pakistan and a lot of the leadership resides in pakistan. we have to have a realistic assessment of the true

situation in pakistan because there's no doubt that there's connections between isi and the network that were responsible not only for the hotel tragedy there but also for the attacks on americans and our allies. and that's not acceptable. >> to libya now. we have seen in the middle east and elsewhere that often when there is the removal of a leader that chaos ensues. we certainly saw that in iraq to a certain extent we're still seeing it in egypt. do you think the u.s. and northern african countries have any kind of plan on what would happen and what they would do about likely chaos is moammar gadhafi should leave. the man has chemical weapons. he has ground to air missiles. all of those, as you know, could fall into the wrong hands. what is the u.s. plan here? >> i think the u.s. plan there is to provide assistance and do

the things that, in fact, i would have recognized the transition national council a long time ago as a legitimate voice of the libyan people. but it's a larger impact on the european allies and i would give a lot of responsibility to them, the italians and french and others. but, candy, this notion that we should fear who comes after or what comes after gadhafi ignores that if gadhafi stays in power, it's a direct threat to our national security. he promised that. we kept the people from benghazi from suffering a slaughter, and this -- this guy has the blood of americans on his hands. he committed acts of terror, and he certainly is committed to committing more of those if he is able to remain in power. this thing could have been over a long time ago if we acted decisively with the use of american air power, and tragically, hundreds if not thousands of young people have

been wounded and killed because this conflict has lasted so long because we failed to use american air assets. >> let me bring you back home to the domestic problem that is hanging up congress at this point, and that is increasing the debt ceiling and the comparable part to this puzzle, which is lowering the u.s. trade -- the u.s. deficit, sorry. would you in the spirit of compromise, would you, senator, john mccain, not speaking for the republican party, could you see your way clear to voting for some sort of tax increase, whether it's closing a loophole of oil companies or charging those who have private jets? what would be so wrong with that? >> well, i think that if we did those small things you're talking about, they would have very small impact. but the principle of not raising taxes is something that we campaigned on last november, and

the results of the election was that the american people didn't want their taxes raised and they wanted us to cut spending. >> but what about compromise? >> i would argue if we do otherwise -- well, you know, the american people, as the president describes it, they don't want compromise. they want us to balance the budget and stop mortgaging our children and grandchildren's futures and they don't think they need their taxes raised, and i don't either. i think that this catastrophe or short-term meltdown that we're facing is not nearly as bad as the meltdown we're facing unless we get our deficit under control. >> no way, no how would senator john mccain vote for anything, a closing of a loophole or tax hike of any sort? >> candy, jon kyl was in negotiations as you know with the vice president. he said there were certain revenue raisers, and to say that

we're raising anybody's taxes is a principle we promised the american people last year and we have to stick to. >> could you share what sort of revenue raisers might be okay with you? >> no. >> you're no fun. thank you for take the time this morning. >> thank you for having me on, candy. up next, "making it in america," our all-star lineup on the american dream and how to save it. >> so, ah, your seat go? got the mirrors all adjusted? you can see everything ok? just stay off the freeways, all right? i don't want you going out on those yet. and leave your phone in your purse, i don't want you texting. >> daddy... ok! ok, here you go. be careful. >> thanks dad. >> and call me--but not while you're driving. we knew this day was coming.

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we turn now to our special on the american dream, the opportunity to live well and prosper. no matter who you are or the specifics of your dream it likely begins with a job. where have all the good ones gone? joining me the co-founder of aol and co-founder and chair of the startup america partnership, steve case. >> thank you for having me here. >> give us an overview of what people know about the job market.

private businesses are not making enough, and there are not enough startup companies to go online to create enough jobs. the main reason seems to be people aren't buying things. is that where we are? >> overall that's true. unemployment 9%. the number of new startups down 20%. people's optimism about creating companies is down as well. it's something we really need to work on. the reason that's important, if you look at the statistics, all the net jobs have been created by startups, and 40 million jobs were created by the young, high-growth companies. we can create jobs and tax revenue and make sure we're competitive in an increasing competitive world. there's signs of that. pockets are examples of great companies have been built over the last five or ten years, but it's not spread as broadly throughout the nation, both in

terms of sectors and regions and that's the focus of the start up america partnership effort. >> what breaks the cycle? it's bit of a chicken and egg, and that is people aren't going to hire until they see that what they have is going to sell, and people aren't going to buy until they know they've got a job is that secure? >> sure. ultimately it comes down with entrepreneurs with great ideas. in new products and services will resonate. living social have hired people. but they are the exception. not the rule. there's a role of big business. there's a role of small business but the most important segment are the high-growth entrepreneur companies. >> what is the role of the government? i also read and hear a lot from businesses that we talk to, both existing and people thinking about it, is they also worry about taxes that are too high

and regulation that is too much. is that a valid complaint? >> it is a valid complaint and the government is looking at what do you do about regulation? even the small business administration in the last few months did rounld tables to make sure that regulations don't noe slow the development of new companies there is work to be done. and you do need to make sure that you have the right tax incentives to drive investment, whether it be early-stage investment or later stage investment, and there are things the government needs to do regarding education and talent and how do we make sure the schools are developing with the right science and engineering back grounds and particularly in the meantime we continue to be a magnet for high skilled immigrants that want to start companies here. i know it's sensitive and for some very emotional, but they are job makers and not job takers. look at the technology companies,

so 25% of the successful businesses have been started by immigrants. we need to make sure that we get the brightest and best, not just in the schools, but when they graduate we get them to start companies here. >> it's a tough sell in the current environment. white may make perfect sense to you, if you are in a country where the unemployment rate is so high, people are saying, why are we allowing people who are immigrants, not american citizens at this point, to stay in and have all of the opportunities? why isn't the american workforce ready to do the sorts of things you're talking about? >> two parts. the statistics show they are job starters. so they are creating great companies. we want them to create the companies here. if we send them off to other country, they will create the companies there and that's where we will see the jobs and the economic growth. that's a key part. making sure you are a magnet. we need to do a better job of educating a work force that's ready for the next generation of

the economy. >> what do you see in the long run? is there a particular sector where the jobs are going to be? >> well, technology is obviously going to be important. it's not just technology companies as stand alone companies, it's how you take the internet and apply it to more traditional industries to disrupt the industries and create new kinds of opportunities. in the automobile industry, for example, our country has struggled for a couple decades because of the rise of global competitors, but it's the leader in some of the areas. it's the zip car. it trance forms how people use cars in cities. so it's almost the second internet revolution. the first was building the platform and getting people connected and to understand why it is important. the second is applying that to other sectors, whether it is transportation or health care or energy or what have you. there's a lot of exciting things

happening there. >> finally, the president had a reputation of being an anti--business president. you are on two councils that i know of at the white house. can you tell me how you -- what you think the state of that relationship is? >> i think it's improving. i would characterize myself as being independent. i don't think of myself as a republican or democratic, but i think of myself as an entrepreneurial american who is trying to dplibt a way. i think early on the president wasn't engaged enough with the business community and in the last year it's gotten better. >> quickly wave your magic wand with. if there is one thing you could get the administration and congress to do that you think would improve the business climate, what would it be? >> i don't think there is one. we will come up with a road map that we will present to the president in september, and there are probably several things, and it would be nice if you do this one it would be the easy fix, but it will take a mix

of things, around incentives and fixing immigration and fixing the regulation and there is a role for the president and congress to celebrate the role intrapreneurs play, and we need to recognize that and celebrate that. not in terms of putting policies in place to reduce barriers or unleash more excitement and possibility, but also to thank them for the contribution they are making. >> steve case, thank you so much for joining us. we appreciate it. >> thank you. for many americans, owning their own home is the quintessential american dream. up next, housing secretary, shaun donovan. we take our showers with it. we make our coffee with it. but we rarely tap its true potential and just let it be itself. flowing freely into clean lakes, clear streams and along more fresh water coast line than any other state in the country. come realize water's true potential. dive in-to the waters of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org.

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[ male announcer ] want to pump up your gas mileage? come to meineke for our free fuel-efficiency check and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke. you cannot talk about the american dream without talking housing. in the new york times cbs poll released just this week, 89% of americans said owning a home is an important part of the american dream. but can they afford it? joining me now to discuss the state of homeownership, shaun donovan. thank you so much for being here. >> great to be with you, candy. >> by the numbers, when you came in to office with the president, when he nominated you, 844,000 homes, roughly, were in foreclosure. 1.3 million right now are in foreclosure, and it's down a

bit. only 36% of people at this point, according to polls, approve of the way this administration handled the housing crisis. is there something more you can do? >> first of all, candy, we have to recognize, this is the most serious crisis we've had in housing since the depression. housing prices have been dropping for 30 straight months when the president walked into the oval office, and they have stabilized and been flat since the president came in. we've made a real difference. there are 5 million people that have had their mortgages modified. foreclosures are coming down, about 40% since last year. so we are making progress, but rightly, the american people recognize we are not where we need to be. we have a ways to go. in particular, beyond all of the steps we have taken, we now have tens of thousands of people getting modifications every month. we know the servicers have to do a better job in helping people.

all the programs in the world aren't going to make a difference if banks aren't following through >> surely you can understand the banks going we will have strict criteria of who we will give a mortgage to, and now there's inside and outside the banking system, a push toward the 20% down payment, the old-fashioned of what your father told you, the 20% down payment. if you look at the median price of a house, that is $44,000 to buy a house which says to me that part of the american dream to own a home is out of reach to a whole lot of people. >> well, look, we have to recognize first of all that we shouldn't go back to where we were that got us into the crisis. we had people using their houses like atms, and no down payment mortgages, and mortgages where the amount you owed went up, and not down over time. >> 20% down payment, what do you think of that? >> well, we have to recognize

and balance -- this is, i think, your point is a good one. we can't over correct and go so far in the other direction that we cut off ownership for people that can be successful homeowners. if you have a credit score that is good, and i think we have to have ways to get people access to homeownership with less than 20% down. we can get back to the place where it's a good investment. we will be able to make money over time. >> homeownership is down 6%, i think. that's gone down steadily since about 2005. do you think it is a departing part of the american dream. because a, you have a horrible perfect storm going on, and people don't believe housing prices bottomed out, and the banks are getting stricter about what the qualifications are for

it, and it no longer looks like a good investment. >> i think the key here is that whether you ask people -- you talked about the recent poll that showed 90% of americans still think it's part of the american dream. if you look at the evidence on what homeownership can mean, you know, people know that when you buy a home, you're not just buying a home. you're deciding where your kids go to school, and you're figuring out how close to live to jobs and what access to transportation you have, and all of those things are important to owning a home. and 0 homeownership shows it can help kids in school, help people be better neighbors and i think we have to get back to the basics here. but we have to recognize homeownership will important to be part of the american dream and we can't cut it off for folks that really can be successful homeowners. >> finally, give me your take on the state of the housing market. do you think it has bottomed out. if you have the cash and credit now, is it time to buy?

>> i think the answer to that is yes, frankly. housing is more affordable than it has been in a generation. if you look at most of the important indicators of where the housing market is going, they are improving. the number of people in default is declining and the number of people being foreclosed on is declining and home sales have been up, and the biggest concern is home prices. as foreclosures come down, and as the shadow inventory starts to decline, that will help prices start to turn up. >> do you think home prices have hit bottom, or are they going down further? >> i think it's very unlikely that we see a significant further decline. i think the real question is when will we start to see sustainable increases? some think it will be as early as the end of the summer or this fall, and others think it will be next year. i wish i had a crystal ball on that. my sense is in the long run it's

a good time to buy, whether it's five months away or a year away to see sustainable increases. i think it's a good time to become a homeowner because it's so affordable compared to where it has been for generations. >> thank you for dropping by. >> good to see you. when we come back, one of the leaders in education, geoffrey canada. different jobs... ♪ ...different challenges. ♪ different opportunities. ♪ so why would universities stay the same? ♪ university of phoenix, because an educated world is a better world.

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everyone who loves a child wants his or her life to be better than his own, and that starts with a solid education. i vidsed the harlem's children zone that provides charter school optionance and a variety of programs for the children and parents with the goal of supporting those children from birth in to college. i spoke to the ceo of the zone, geoffrey canada, man deeply troubled. >> a number of us involved in education are really concerned, because it seems like this generation of students in america are going to have a really different life protectory than their parents.

we're having huge numbers of our young people not get the quality education that will lead them to a better job and a better lifestyle. it is now, i think, very commonplace for young people to not want to leave home because they're not going to be able to afford the kind of lifestyle that they grew up with in their parents' homes, and i think we failed our young people and failed our kids and have not raised the bar and demanded excellence in our schools so that our kids coming out are able really to take the much more sophisticated jobs which require higher skill levels than kids have today. >> is there a way to whittle it down to a single thing that has been the most damaging to make the educational system today worse than you when i were in it? >> it's the failure to innovate. it's the failure to innovate. what we have done is kept the same system of education since

i went to school back 54 years ago. the way school looked, the way school taught kids, the lengths of the school day and the length of the school year is basically the same, even though we know our young people are facing a much more challenging environment. so we have to allow schools to innovate, and instead we fight every innovation. >> wave your magic wand and tell me what you most want to see. is an 11-month school year, or longer school days, or more or more parental involvement. is there something that if i could have this -- >> to treat our teachers and the school leaders like the professionals they are. every other profession, you get trained and then you figure out what you need to do to be successful. we run schools like factories, where we have folks how many minutes you have for class time, how many minutes you have to have, or we say you can do these

things and you can't. you must shut down these schools across america in june. even though they are needing to be open in july and august. this is foolishness. this is no way to run an education system. i think that allowing the professionals to do what they feel is necessary in getting out of their way and getting the rules out of their way and the unions out of their way so we can figure out what do the kids need, let's do that. that would be a revolution in education. >> in polls, the majority of people think that college education is worth it but it is decreasing. the number of people who think that college education is worth the cost is decreasing. speak to that. >> we have fundamental changes going on in the economy right now. if you look at the class of 2009, 22% of that group of college graduates were

unemployed. so that sort of never happened before in america, and another 22% took jobs that didn't require a college degree. so there is an idea of college is going to pay off immediately, that has changed somewhat and has the economy improves we will see improvement in that. what is clear to me is this, the low-wage low-skill jobs that were available when i was a kid, they are gone and not coming back. we have got to prepare this next generation for much more sophisticated kinds of jobs that they are going to hold. they will probably hold multiple jobs. to me that means a college education. i don't see any other way around that. >> does it mean -- you are well educated in one of the ivy league schools, does it mean an ivy league school education? can a community college compete with the likes of a harvard? it seems to me we are increasingly having a two-tier education system. >> i this i you are seeing at the college level what you have

seen in lots of our cities, which is you have some schools which are producing very high level results for its students. and other schools which is mediocre, we have to step it up. they could be the places where you can go in and learn a set of skills that you can immediately transfer those skills into a job, and so the science, the technology, which everybody is crying for, you can get those in communities colleges, but we have to make sure that those colleges are designed to make sure young people reach the skill levels. they are a key asset. one which is now not delivering the best service for our kids. >> what do you think about the state of american dream as you define it, and can it still be achieved? >> i think we're in a crisis right now. if you are in detroit and you see a block after block after block of what looks like an urban wasteland where people feel like nobody cares and there's no hope, and you

recognize that education is the only answer, and right now, we have not really kept pace with the need in this country. we have not treated this as if it's a crisis, and if the future of our nation really rests on us, getting this thing right. so could we get it right? absolutely, yes. there are examples all over america. and i think we have to do it. we can't wait another four to five years to get this right. >> thank you so much for your time on this july fourth weekend. appreciate it. >> thank you, candy, for having me on this show. a look at a look at america's financial security with suze orman.

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joining me now to talk about the struggles of saving for your children's future and your own, certified financial planner, suze orman, the author of "the money class:learn to create your new american dream. suze, thank you for joining us, because it's right up our alley here on the fourth of july weekend. let me ask you, has the american dream changed now when it comes to retirement? let's start with that first. >> yeah. so it has changed. you know, before you used to hear people say all the time, i want to work until i'm 60.

maybe i'll retire when i am 62, and then start to collect social security. now the probability and even the possibility, candy, of them being able to retire at 59 1/2, 62, is nil. most people are going to have to work, if they have a job, and that's a whole other story, but they will have to work until they are 67 or 70, simply to be able to get by. so it's really, really, really sad that that american dream has changed dramatically by about seven years. >> has it changed because of just economic conditions? or has it changed because of demographic conditions, the big baby boomers coming up and you have less in the workforce? >> no, it changed because of the economic conditions. think about it. most people bought a home. they had all of this equity in their home. it was in their mind when they retired they would most likely

sell that home and down size and be able to have some extra money, maybe 100, 200 thousand dollars t dollars extra to live on. they don't have equity in their home anymore. many of them owe more money on their home than their home is worth. take the stock market. look at the stock market. they lost ten years worth of growth on their money, and while the stock market may have been doing well the past year or so they are not anywhere close to being even to where they were just a few years ago even with them putting their money in. look at the price of everything. the price of gasoline. look at the price of food. look at what it costs them to live. they can't afford those expenses. the list goes on and on. >> let me ask you one more question about retirement and that american dream, and that is if you are not quite so close to retirement but late 40s, you're hearing talk about social security benefits perhaps

changing and medicare perhaps changing. do you now need to save more, looking ahead thinking, you know, these programs will not last, so what you thought you might need to save you need to save above that? >> and not only that, is your pension going to be there. many of you work for companies that have pension plans that you have been counting on, and their pensions are totally underfunded. are they going to give it to you or are they not? what is going to happen there? that's what i'm talking about when i say all of you need to learn when you need to create your new american dream. what is it you want for for yourself in retirement, and whatever that may be, you cannot count on the government anymore and you cannot count on social security and you cannot count on medicare, medi-cal or medicaid, so you have to literally take your own future in your own hands. one of the best ways to do that is to, if you own a home, you

better make sure the mortgage on your home is paid off by the time that you no longer think that you are going to be employed. why? because that is your largest expense that you have. you need a lot of money in a retirement account to generate the income to pay a mortgage, especially since retirement accounts in most cases are taxable to you. one of the best things you can do is if you own assets that cost you money to keep, and you want those assets such as a home, please make sure it's your number one priority, if you are going to stay in that house forever to pay down the mortgage on that home. >> let me move you to children and the american dream that your children will live a better life than you do. we ask this question in 2011, do you believe your kids will have a better life than you? only 47% said yes, and that was 62% two years ago. >> one key here that is

destroying the future of these kids is the word productivity. now corporations have learned to be as productive without workers as they were with workers. now you have technology that can replace many human beings. now you have outsourcing where many of the students would get jobs at places. now that job is being fulfilled overseas. we're not replacing all of the things that we're losing with anything that really can take that place. so where are these kids going to be able to get jobs that pay them that kind of money when we don't need as many people any more to do the jobs we used to do. trouble. trouble. >> "the money class: learn to create your new american dream," you can get it almost anywhere. it's been depressing but informative. thanks very much. >> anytime.

up next, an update on the closing arguments in the casey anthony trial. and one man who is living the american dream, businessman and author russell simmons. 14 clubs. that's what they tell us a legal golf bag can hold. and while that leaves a little room for balls and tees, it doesn't leave room for much else. there's no room left for deadlines or conference calls. not a single pocket to hold the stress of the day, or the to-do list of tomorrow. only 14 clubs pick up the right one and drive it right down the middle of pure michigan. your trip begins at michigan.org.

hello. the cnn center in atlanta. here's a look at the top story we are following throughout the afternoon. closing arguments are underway in the casey anthony trial right now. the prosecution argued that all of the evidence points to the conclusion that anthony murdered her 2-year-old daughter caylee. lead prosecutor characterized anthony as a liar. he said she maintains her lies until they are proven untrue and replaces them with new lies. the defense is currently

presenting its final argument. anthony's lawyer conceded his client made bad decisions and should have called police to report caylee's death, but he argued that the prosecution has failed to prove anthony killed the girl. anthony listened to the arguments, occasionally crying, glaring and shaking her head. the prosecution will have the right to present a rebuttal. and then the case will go to the jury. anthony is charged with capital murder which could mean the death penalty if she is found guilty. stay here with cnn for the development as they happen. state of the union continues in a moment. freeways, all right? i don't want you going out on those yet. and leave your phone in your purse, i don't want you texting. >> daddy... ok! ok, here you go. be careful. >> thanks dad. >> and call me--but not while you're driving. we knew this day was coming.

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our next guest grew up in queen withes. he said his first job was selling marijuana on the street corner. that was a long time ago. russell similar mondays is a fashion designer and launched a jewelry company. he produced several tv shows and starred in his own reality series. he is a best-selling author and philanthropist. his latest book is "super rich, a guide to having it all." he talks about a different kind of american dream he calls inner wealth. i want to start with your definition of the american dream, the ideal. >> oh, my goodness, the ideal. any dream is really realized when someone is really happy. i think that's the achievement of a happy state, conscious ness is, that's it. i mean we are all here just looking to be comfortable in our seat. that, i believe, is not only inherent in the definition of the american dream, but any person looking for contentment.

>> so, when you -- growing up, as -- here in queens, right? >> right. >> what did you aspire to? >> as a kid i haven't many aspirations for big success or certainly i may have had them or talked about them but i didn't have as much faith in them. one thing happens, gives you courage. another thing, kids are hopeless. even in my community growing up where there was a terrible heroin epidemic, but every so often someone finds one stitch of luck, one little twist that gives them enough courage to keep going and i think that's really what happened to me. i had a spark. i found music. i fell in love with music. the work became the prayer. every day i would go there and the melodies and the songs made me happy. >> what makes russell simmons go from where you came from to

right now. >> there's really nothing they can give you to motivate happiness in you. the work is the prayer, the results are something you have no control over. the more we let go of the need for results, the better we can do our job. when you are making a great record, you hear a melody. the melody is what makes you happy and you may think for one minute, i can't wait until my friends hear that record and if you are thinking how much i will make off the record you are not doing a good job making the record. if your mind is on the money you will make from the record you are not making a god record. the mind has to be -- so as much as you can engage your focus, in some single point, this is happiness. >> people are going to look at it and say, as they often do with someone who's quite wealthy, it's easy to say it is all about inner happiness when you have money. >> it is easy to say it when you

don't or do have money. it is easy to say period. inner happiness is when you have no access to anything you sit and meditate on being content. and when you have a lot of crap it is harder sometimes, but still eventually you learn to sit and meditate on emptiness, it is good to be content. to need for nothing. this is enlightenment. every book tells you over and over again. this is why we go to work to try to get rid of the neediness. neediness is the cause of suffering. no question. >> russell simmons, thank you. when we come back, lawmakers on captiol hill on what they see as the american dream.

we leave you with a last set of thoughts on the fundamentals of the american dream. captiol hill we found out we mains full of dreamers. >> for me, the american dream is the ability of people, no matter what their ethnicity, their religion, their background, their sexual orientation, to live up to their full potential. >> the american dream is more than just about people who made millions of dollars or own a jet plane or a yacht. it is habit about the hard-working people that serve us lunch at restaurants, or to do all the things that their kids could not. >> we ought to guarantee that everyone gets a fair shot. >> not that we will have equal outcome. in fact, the american dream is that those who work harder and those who merit it will have unequal outcomes. they will gain more of whatever the american dream is. >> the american